Just A Fairytale
by kryptofreak
Summary: Naminé has always felt invisible. Then one day she meets someone who she believes will change that. But she soon discovers he's just another painful memory. However, the new boy, just might be the one to finally see her. RoxasXNaminé
1. Pretty Girl

Second fanfiction! Enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Pretty girl is suffering, while he confesses everything. Pretty soon she'll figure out what his intentions were about. And that's what you get for falling again, you can never get him outta your head. And that's what you get for falling again, you can never get him outta your head…"-Sugarcult_

xXx

You know that feeling where the only thing you want to do is scream your head off? Just flail and kick. Anything to release anger, even if you look like a two-year-old throwing a hissy fit.

Or the need to just be numb, because feeling is tearing you up inside. And more than anything you just want to stop feeling the way you do.

You continue on, pretending to be okay. Smiling when someone talks to you, or laughing at a joke you're told. But the smile is too wide. The laughter is too loud, fake sounding. And you can't tell if it's just that way to you or if everyone else notices it too.

When someone else asks you if everything's fine you put on a mask and act like everything's more than fine. 'Cause you don't want them to know how you really feel lost. You don't want them to know they've hurt you. The last thing you want is for them to only pay you any attention because they think they're obligated.

So you pretend not to care. Or you tell yourself to stop caring, but you might as well be telling yourself to stop breathing.

No matter how hard you try, moments replay in your head. You wish to go back to that moment when you were happy, even if it was just a fantasy.

Just a fairytale.

xXx

It takes me a moment to realize I'm drawing _him_ again. Those eyes that change colors constantly. Sometimes they're blue, sometimes aqua.

Quickly I begin erasing the drawing, hoping no one saw anything. I press the pink eraser harder to the page, trying to get rid of the lines that had outlined his chin. The paper rips under the pressure.

Sighing, I rip it out from the notebook and crumple it up. Ugh, what a waste of perfectly good paper. I place it on the desk and begin a fresh page.

I love blank pages; it seems as if they're just begging to be filled. Picking up a red colored pencil I begin sketching the outline of the messiest hair I've ever seen in my life.

It belongs to my best-and now only- friend. I usually draw him when I can't think of anyone else. He always tells me that he doesn't mind as long draw him smiling.

Axel's like that. He believes the most important thing in life is to just live and be happy. Forget about problems that really don't matter. Don't let people get to you. His favorite thing to tell me that those who make you cry aren't worth you tears and those who are worth them won't make you cry.

And to a point he's right. The only time Axel's ever brought tears to my eyes is when he made me laugh to the point where they leaked a few tears. However, over the past few years several others have been the reason behind my crying, none of which were happy tears.

My throat tightens as a flash of silver hair and aqua eyes come to mind. I push the thought aside and pick up a green colored pencil, ready to start on Axel's eyes.

Eyes are my favorite thing to draw, especially Axel's. He always seems to be enjoying a private joke. And sometimes it feels as if those eyes see everything including deep down into my soul. Cheesy, I know. But that's how Axel is.

I'm just about to start on his left eye, when I feel someone tap on my shoulder. Already assuming what it's about I turn around.

Mrs. Gainsborough is standing there, a knowing smile on her young face. She reaches out and gently lowers the hood of my white sweatshirt from my head. I take out the tiny earbuds connected to my iPod, which I have hidden in my pocket, and smile apologetically.

"Naminé, you know the rules. No iPods in class," she tells me kindly.

"Sorry," I mutter, avoiding looking her straight in the eye. Adults tend to freak me out. They're just so judgmental.

"I'm not going to take it this time, but if I catch you with it again, I'm going to have to."

I nod and pocket the tiny white iPod.

"How'd you know?" I ask her.

She laughs lightly. "I've been calling your name for the past two minutes. It's your day to present something to the class."

My cheeks heat up as I look around the class. Sure enough, they're all staring at me. Some with smirks. Some looking as they could care less.

"Okay."

Standing up I grab my portfolio from off my desk and walk slowly to the front of the class. Everyone's watching me now. Waiting for me to just hurry up and start so they can go back to drawing, or more likely talking.

"Um," I stammer. My portfolio slips from fingers and slides to the floor.

"Nice," a boy hisses from the class. Several of the preppy girls giggle as if he just said the best joke in the world.

I pick up my portfolio and grab the first thing lying on top. My heart stops as I recognize the outline of the jaw, the perfection of the hair, the bright aqua eyes, which is the only color in the whole drawing.

"That's lovely, Naminé," the teacher states.

A few snippets of whispers travel around the room. Trying my best to ignore them I start to put the drawing back, but Mrs. Gainsborough stops me.

"No, I want that to be what you share. It's absolutely magnificent."

I want nothing more to place the picture back in the folder and never have to look at it again, but I clip it instead to the easel in the front of the room.

The class stares at it for a few minutes with out anyone raising their hand. That's how these show-and-tell things go. Everyday, about a half an hour before the end of the period one person shares a piece of artwork. They then have to stand there in complete torment until someone from the class raises their hand and begins to critique it.

It's supposed to give the artist constructive criticism, as well as allow the students to analysis art and broaden their horizons and other crap like that. In actuality it means one victim a day gets to face the firing squad.

'Cause that's basically what high school is.

Finally, what feels like hours one of the annoying idiots, a.k.a Kairi, says, "Isn't that Riku?"

Of course, everyone knows it's Riku, even her. Her only goal in saying that was to humiliate me even more than I already am.

More snickers go around the room. My face is beet red now, I can just tell.

"Come on, class," the teacher instructs. "Focus on the technique. See how she used shadows?"

Half the class mummers a response. The other half has already gotten bored and started texting under their desks.

I glance at the clock. Still twenty minutes to the bell. Just twenty more minutes till lunch.

"Naminé, why don't you tell us your thoughts? Why did you choose to only color in his eyes?"

I snap my attention back to her.

"Um, cause…" I don't want to go into how eyes are the first thing I notice when I meet a guy. And how I love eyes that are shades of blue and green. How Riku's eyes were the most gorgeous ones in the whole school.

"…cause I didn't have time for anything else," I answer her lamely.

She smiles again at me, knowing that's all I'm going to say about the picture. "Very, well. You may sit down. It's an excellent drawing."

I take the drawing down and shuffle back to my seat. The class has already begun buzzing again with gossip, although not about what just happened. They've already forgotten about the shy girl who stood before them mere seconds ago.

Picking up my green pencil, I notice the crumpled up drawing is no longer on my desk. I look around frantically, thinking it might have just fallen on the floor. But I have no such luck. It's simply gone, probably taken by someone.

There's no use getting upset by it, so I continue drawing. I'm just about to finish Axel's grin, when the bell rings.

I sling my backpack over my shoulders and leave the classroom, hugging my sketchbook to my chest.

xXx

As usual he's late, leaving me there to sit at an empty picnic table with my sketchbook out. Occasionally I glance up from the tulip I'm drawing to see if he's here yet. All around me people are talking in large groups. I'm the only person sitting by myself.

Earlier a few people had given me nasty looks for taking up an entire table to myself, forcing them to sit in the grass.

Now no one acknowledges me, nor do they even glance at the girl sitting alone. She's just there in the background, observing as the world moves around her.

I spot a boy sitting against a tree, reading. Guess I'm not the only person alone as I thought. He glances up and notices me staring, so I look back down at my sketchbook and let my blonde hair cascade over my face, concealing it.

"You shouldn't do that, Naminé. You have the prettiest blue eyes."

I smile as Axel sits down with his lunch tray.

"Thanks," I mumble, closing my sketchbook.

"I'm serious. You need to stop hiding that beautiful face of yours," he replies, before taking a bite out his pizza.

I nod, just to get him to stop.

He frowns at me, knowing exactly what I'm doing, but doesn't press the issue any further.

"So anything new?" I ask between bites of my sandwich.

"Nah. Just more techie stuff after school. Uber fun," he ends with sarcasm.

"Since when don't you like moving scenery and working lights? Or whatever you do for the school plays?"

"Since the drama kids all suck at remembering their lines and cues, so I'm stuck listening to the drama teacher yell at them," he answers.

"Sorry."

He shrugs and takes another bite out of his pizza. "It's all good. So…"

"So, what?"

"Have you heard from him?" he asks.

I look down at the table and shake my head.

"He's a moron, you know," Axel assures me.

"No he's not," I whisper, still staring at the crude drawings on the table.

Seriously why does every idiot find drawing the male reproductive organ on every surface, amusing?

"Naminé, look at me!" Axel demands.

I glance up. Those green eyes of his burn into me.

"What?"

"The last thing you should be doing is blaming yourself for what happened. It was his fault. So don't you dare start thinking you're worthless," he responds.

"I wasn't-"I begin to argue.

"You so were," he interrupts. Then giving me a smile he asks, "So have you heard back from that art place?"

As if I didn't have enough to worry about. I'd almost completely forgotten about the Twilight Institute of Art. Earlier this year I had applied for a spot in their summer program. It was very exclusive- they only took about thirty kids from all over the county to come and study art from a whole month. You had to be recommended to the program by an art teacher to even be considered. Then you had to send in ten pieces of your best artwork. The whole program was very prestigious, and even offered some hefty scholarships to the best of the best.

"They haven't called."

"You're going to get accepted. Naminé, your artwork is some of the most impressive shit I've ever seen," Axel says.

"Thanks." Not a hundred percent sure if that's a compliment, but it's coming from Axel so I'm assuming it is.

We continue eating and talking until the bell rings. Axel grabs his tray as well as my trash and throws it away.

Now it's off to my least favorite class of the day. Physics.

What's the point? I'm never going to need to know any of this. It's just a waste of time.

Okay, the major reason is that I currently have a D in the class. I'm no Einstein when it comes to school. Mostly Bs with the occasional A. But, still a D is pretty bad for me.

The thing I hate the most is that it's not even entirely my fault. My teacher, Mr. Sephiroth is the epitome of evil. That's not an excuse. It's true.

Of course no one believes me, with the exception of the other victims in his classes. My parents just think I don't try hard enough. They don't believe me when I tell them that he never explains anything so we can understand.

He's also one of those teachers that assigns a mountain of homework every night and rarely ever collects it. And when he does, it's the time you didn't complete it 'cause you didn't feel like doing two hours worth of hard work on something that doesn't even count for a grade.

So every other day after lunch, I trudge downstairs to the Physics classroom and say a mental prayer that he's not here and we get a substitute for class. And every day I peek inside the class and see him sitting there with an evil smile on his face, ready to start torturing us.

However it comes as a complete shock to me, when I look inside and not only is Mr. Sephiroth not there, but some guy is sitting in my seat.

Immediately, I recognize him as the boy who was reading in the courtyard during lunch. Even now, he has his book open.

I walk to the way back of the class. It's obvious Mr. Sephiroth has given up all hope that I will do decent in his class, cause he's placed me at the back, in the corner. I don't even have a science partner. The other spot at the two person table is vacant.

Or at least it was. I supposed this guy's new. And taking in his ripped jeans, messy (even more so than Axel's) blonde hair, and sweatshirt with a skateboarding logo that I recognize, I also assume he's no overachiever.

Wrong to stereotype, I know, but people at this school fit pattern and this guy screams either skater, loner, and/or possibly stoner. The book is throwing me off though. Still, it's no shocker that he chose a seat in the back, next to the window.

The guy doesn't even glance up as I sit down in the seat that is next to mine. I don't want to correct him, so I decide to just sit in the other spot. It doesn't matter to me.

Pretty soon, the rest of the class trickles in. They all exclaim with joy when they realize the teacher's not there. A few throw curious looks at the new boy, but mostly they're all talking, hoping he's really not here and not just late or something.

When the final bell rings, there's still no sign of the teacher, or even a sub. So the noise level increases.

No one talks to me. They never do, so I'm used to it. But, still I can't help but feel like a pathetic loser. 'Cause the truth is that I don't even have the excuse of being the new girl. I've been going to the same school with the same group of people since forever.

I'm invisible. I'm accustomed to it. Happy about it? No. But still used to it.

Blocking all the noise out, I place my sketchbook in my lap and start drawing. Concentrating all my will into not drawing Riku, I sketch instead a lone rose in a vase, its petal falling off and onto a table.

Slightly dark of me, I know, but it's just the kind of mood I'm in at the moment. When I'm finished with the rose I turn to a new page and begin to draw a worn teddy bear dangling from the clutch of a young girl.

Her long hair is being swept in front of her face by wind, leaving only her eyes and a tiny bit of her face visible.

"Why is she crying?" asks a voice, making me jump.

I look up from my drawing. The boy next to me is looking down at it, where I had absentmindedly been drawing tears sliding down her cheek.

He looks back up at me.

I feel my heartbeat increase. His brilliant, sapphire eyes lock onto mine. There are the absolute most stunning eyes I've ever seen. They make Riku's seem dull in comparison.

I want to badly draw those eyes. They're deep; almost as if I were to fall into them I'd never be able to find my way back.

"You okay?" he says, smirking.

Blushing, I look away from his eyes and nod.

"So, why is she sad?"

I'm just about to answer when the door opens. The whole class collectively looks towards it and cheers.

"So, sorry. You're teacher didn't leave any sort of lesson plan so I had to ask another teacher. She says you guys are in a very different place than any other class so she has no clue. But you're all in luck because she lent me a movie for you guys to watch," the sub says.

Again, the class cheers. The sub smiles at us and starts fiddling with the DVD player.

"Now, no talking. Everyone needs to write a whole page on what you've learned in the video."

The class groans. For a minute all is silent except for the sound of backpacks being unzipped and the shuffle of papers.

Someone stands up and turns off the lights. A few whispers begin, but the sub shushes them and starts the movie.

Two seconds into it, I'm bored out of my mind.

I'm also not the only one. The boy next to me, whose name I still don't know, is reading his book under the desk.

Following his example, I draw under my desk. I'm already practically failing the class. One more zero in the grade book isn't going to affect me much.

I'm still working on the girl's teddy bear, when I feel someone poking me lightly on the arm.

Knowing it's the boy, I peek up at him. He smiles at me and takes my pencil out of my hand.

Not knowing how to respond to this, I let him. He lifts up the page I'm writing on and starts scribbling on the next one. Or at least that what it looks like. Wow, his handwriting is messy.

He places the pencil on the desk and returns to reading his book.

Curious, I lift the page and squint at his barely legible writing.

_I'm Roxas. What's your name?_

I reread it two more times, shocked. Then, I respond back with _It's Naminé._

I don't know what else to write, so I push the sketchbook towards him. After a few seconds he closes his book and reads what I wrote.

Grinning at me, he slides the pencil out from my grip and writes some more. This time, it takes him longer. He pushes the book back towards me when he finishes.

_Hi, Naminé. I bet you get this all the time, but you're really talented at drawing. Just thought you'd like to hear it, for probably the hundredth time._

I can't help but smile. With the exception of Axel, my art teacher, and as much as I don't want to think of him, Riku, no one's ever told me that. Even my parents don't tell me that. They think wanting to be an artist is a poor and impractical decision.

_Thanks. I see you like to read. What are you reading?_ I respond back with.

This time I don't even need to move the sketchbook towards Roxas. The moment I put my pencil down, he reaches over and takes the book.

Without writing anything back he nudges the sketchbook over to me. I feel disappointed instantly. He's already bored, ready to move on.

I flip the page back to my drawing and am just about to continue working on it, when I feel another light poke.

A novel is placed on top of my drawing.

"_Catcher in the Rye" _

"It's my favorite," Roxas whispers. "Ever read it?"

I look up at him and shake my head. "I don't read much."

He picks his book up. But instead of cracking it open and starting to read again, he puts it on top of his desk.

"To each his own. What else do you like, besides drawing I mean?"

"Um," I stammer. Drawing is pretty much all I do, so I have no clue what to say.

But it doesn't matter, 'cause the second I open to tell him this, the bell rings.

Whoa, the class went by fast. I guess I just zoned out while drawing, that I didn't notice the sub hadn't arrived until thirty minutes left of class.

Roxas picks up his book and his book bag, which his slings over his neck, onto one shoulder.

"See you next class, Naminé," he says.

"Yeah, see you."

With one last smile he heads towards the front of the class. I place my pencil back into my backpack and grab my stuff.

Leaving the classroom, I join the traffic and head toward my locker. People jostle into me, but I try my best to not bump into anyone. I really hate the hallways. Especially those idiots who like to block everyone's way or those who walk at a snail pace and then sped up as you try to get around them.

Some jerk pushes his friend into me and then makes a rude gesture. 'Cause it was totally my fault not his. Ugh, I despise morons.

I'm mentally cussing him out, when I spot him. He's leaning against my locker, those blue eyes looking around.

For me.

No! I was hoping to avoid him.

But it's too late to turn around, leaving my textbook back at my locker and claim I forgot it at home.

He's already spotted me and is waiting for me to come closer.

I give him a weak smile as I stand in front of him. He wraps his arms around me. I leave my hands at my sides, but he refuses to let go. So, I return his hug for a moment, before pulling away.

"Hey, Naminé," he says.

"Hi, Riku."

I turn away and start doing the combination for my locker. All the while I can sense him standing there, staring at me. I mess up on the combo twice before getting it right. Quickly I grab my textbook for my next class and slam the locker shut.

Without looking at him, I start to walk away. But no such luck. He gently grabs my arm, stopping me.

"I need to get to class," I tell him, staring at his shirt.

"Naminé."

I remain silent. Why is he doing this? Can't he see that I don't want to talk to him? Or at least that it hurts to. Cause more than anything I want to talk to him, joke around like we used to. More than anything I want it to be like before. Before I did the dumbest thing I've done in a long time.

But, no matter how hard I want to change things, I know they won't. So why make myself suffer anymore?

"Naminé, please look at me," he says softly.

I listen to him and glance up, meeting his eyes. My stomach does a flip-flop as our eyes make contact. Immediately I feel another tear in my heart.

Ugh, I'm so pathetic.

"What, Riku? What do you want?" I ask, feeling even more dismal of the apparent hurt in my voice.

"I'm sorry," he answers sincerely. "Are you okay?"

Time for my mask. I smile at him and respond, "Yeah, I'm really great."

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

"You sure?"

I nod. I just want him to let me leave. Every second I get closer to letting loose the tears I'm trying to hold back.

"You're not acting like Naminé, though."

My heart twisted as the words left his mouth. I wanted to snap back "You don't know me", but I didn't.

Instead I smiled at him. "I'm good. Honestly."

He stared at me for a second before nodding. "I guess I'll see you later." He hugged me again, this time tighter. But it was nothing more than a friend hug, if even that. More like a pity hug.

I pulled away after a few seconds. "Bye."

"Bye, Naminé." He gave me one look of uncertainty, before turning around and going to his next class.

I watched him go for a second, before walking down the hall. The tears fell freely now.

My mask dissolved.

xXx

"_And that's what you get for falling again, you can never get him outta your head."_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

So what did you all think? Review and tell me what you think!


	2. Miserable at Best

Here is chapter two! Thanks to those who reviewed. Means uber much to me.

Enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_And this will be the first time in a week, that I'll talk to you and I can't speak. It's been three whole days since I've had sleep because I dream of [your] lips on [her] cheek. And I got the point that I should leave you alone, but we both know that I'm not that strong  
and I miss the [eyes] that made me fly." –Mayday Parade_

xXx

Ever heard the phrase time heals all wounds?

Whoever came up with that obviously didn't experience a broken heart. If anything, time makes it worse.

Crying over someone a day after they've stamped on your heart is normal. Understandable. Even a few days afterwards is still not passed that line of patheticness.

But once a week hits, people expect you to move on. They no longer offer you words of sympathies for what happened to you.

It's old news. Something to be forgotten.

But no matter how hard you try, you can't forget. It's impossible. All you want is to find a magical time machine and go back to before that moment that changed everything.

You just can't stop thinking about it. Can't stop thinking about them. And wondering if they're thinking about you.

But you already know that answer. And it hurts knowing that you haven't crossed their minds at all.

You're just not as important to them as they are to you.

Every time you picture their face or imagine their voice, you're heart aches. You wish more than anything that'd they'd for once just think about you and realize they miss you.

So you play out scenes in you head. Things you would say to them and how they would respond. But it's all just in your head, making you feel worse.

You know you need to stop. Need to stop clutching on to old memories and fantasies you had.

But you're terrified that the moment you let go is the moment they think about you. The moment they remember you and that for once they are the ones who want what they can't have.

Beneath all this hopeless hope, there is that logical side that you know you should listen to. That logic keeps you from falling back down into La-La Happy Land.

Your fantasies are just that. Fantasies. Nothing more.

They're not thinking of you. They're not missing you. And they're not going to start thing about you. They won't be missing you.

'Cause that's just a fairytale.

xXx

I must be some kind of masochist. It's the only explanation for the reason why I'm sitting here at this table. The table where I met him.

And not only am I sitting at the exact spot where I met him, but I'm also wearing the shirt I was wearing that day.

Sad, that I remembered what I was wearing, I know. But it's just one of those details that stays stuck in your brain.

To anyone else that would seem weird that wearing this shirt at this place is making me miserable, but to me it's normal.

'Cause I can't stop thinking about the last time I was wearing this shirt in this spot, I was happy.

I was smiling because someone had noticed me. More than that. _He_ had sat down and started talking to me. To a complete stranger.

Instead of sitting with his friends, he had sat down at my table, where I was all alone.

Axel had been sick with the flu for a week and I had spent my lunches drawing, trying to ignore the fact that I was all alone, surrounded by groups of friends who were laughing and having fun. No matter how hard I tried to not be upset about this, I couldn't help it. Just because you're used to being invisible doesn't mean you enjoy it.

But, he had sat down. I had seen him coming towards me from the corner of my eye. I had figured he would turn any second and go to a different table.

So, it came as a complete surprise when he sat down across from me and greeted me like we were old friends.

He had told me that he had seen me all by myself and thought I needed someone to talk to.

I guess that's why I fell so hard. No one had ever done that for me. All those lunches over the years eating by myself, no one had ever paid attention to me. No one had ever cared enough to come sit with me.

But he had.

And after that lunch, I thought I'd never see him again. He'd forget all about the girl with the deep blue eyes who liked to draw.

But, he came back. And he continued to eat lunch with me. Even a week later, when Axel had finally gotten well enough to come to school, Riku had stayed and eaten with us.

When he saw me in the halls, he'd wave and sometimes even walk with me.

I was happy. At that point he was just a new friend who I enjoyed being with. But then as time passed and he started to…

I shook my head, wanting the memories to just go away. It took me a few seconds to realize the tears trickling down my cheeks. Wiping them off I looked around to see if anyone had seen me crying.

Of course, no one had. No one ever gave the quiet, shy girl a second glance. Well, no one that is except him.

No! Must stop thinking about Riku. It only causes more pain.

I start to rip off the crust on my sandwich when Axel sits down across form me.

"Why are we sitting at this table?" he asks.

"'Cause I had to stay after in art cause Mrs. Gainsborough wanted to discuss my portfolio. By the time I got out here someone had already taken ours. This was the only empty table," I answered him.

Not entirely true. There had been another empty table. Yet I still chose this one. Like I said, I must be some kind of masochist.

Why else would I feel drawn to this table? Am I wishing that if I close my eyes and picture the detail perfectly I can somehow transport back to that last time when I sat here in this shirt? Yeah, I am. Pathetic

"Okie dokie," he responded.

"Yuppers."

Axel eyed me. "You've been crying."

"No I hav-" I began, but Axel just stares at me with those knowing eyes of his.

It's scary how well he knows me.

"What's wrong? It's not about him is it? 'Cause it's his loss. You deserve someone much better," he says.

"I hate when people say that it's so-and-so's loss. _They_ clearly don't see it that way."

"Naminé," Axel states, sympathetically

The next thing I know is that he's gotten up and walked around the table over to me. I feel his strong arms wrap around me.

"It _is_ his loss. You're beautiful, sweet, and funny. If that dick can't see that, then he's not worth your time," Axel tells me, still hugging me.

"Thanks, Axel."

He kissed me on the cheek. "Love you, Naminé."

"Love you," I reply.

Those words should make my heart race and send shivers down my spine, but I'm used to Axel telling me he loves me. And I love him, but only like a brother.

People always tell us we make such a great couple. But we're just friends. He's not gay nor does he have a girlfriend, there's just no spark between us.

Axel lets go and sits back down. "So, anything more happen with Roxas?"

He grins as I feel my cheeks heat up.

"No," I mumble.

Without even thinking about it, I glance toward the tree where Roxas is reading.

"Go ask him to eat with us," Axel urges me.

I so badly want to, but what if Roxas doesn't think of me as a friend? What if just thinks I'm someone to talk to in Physics? Just a science partner?

I shake my head.

"Naminé," Axel scolds.

"Can't. People scare me. Remember?" I reply.

Axel merely rolls his eyes at me. "You're so damn shy."

Ugh, I hate that about myself. I want to be outgoing, but whenever I talk to someone (unless they're like Axel and I'm really good friends with them) my tongue gets all tied up and my face turns bright red and stays that way.

Another reason I liked Riku so much. Yes, I was still timid around him and nervous whenever I thought about him. But I was still comfortable when I was with him.

Ugh. Must. Stop. Thinking. About. Riku.

"If he wanted to talk to me, he'd do so," I tell Axel.

"Or he could be thinking you only think of him as a science partner. He's probably wishing that you'd come over and invite him to sit with you," Axel says.

Yeah right. 'Cause I'm sure he's thinking about me. What a joke!

I glance over at him again. Only this time he's not alone. My stomach twists when I see the tall, skinny, blonde, field-hockey playing, Queen Bee Larxene talking to him.

"Ah, Larxene. Should have known she'd try for the new guy," Axel comments, following where I'm staring.

I watch as Roxas looks up from his book. Larxene says something to him, a huge smile on her pretty, smug face. Roxas responds and shakes his head. Then without saying anything else, he goes back to reading. Larxene turns around and storms off back to her table where all her friends are waiting.

"She looks happy," Axel says sarcastically. "She's not used to being rejected by someone, especially a guy she has her sights set on."

I look away from Roxas and take a bite out of my sandwich. "See? I bet you she asked him to sit with her and he said no. He obviously doesn't want to sit with any one."

"I wouldn't want to sit with Larxene either. She is quite intimidating. But, I truly think it's not that he doesn't want to sit with someone. The right girl just hasn't asked him yet."

As much as I want that to be true, I'm not convinced. So, I shrug and take another bite of my sandwich.

Axel sighs. He knows he won't make me budge. I may be shy, but I can be stubborn as a mule.

The bell rings a few minutes later. Axel throws our trash away. We walk back inside the building and go our separate ways.

I try to ignore the increase in my heart as I make my way toward my classroom.

I don't like Roxas. I don't like Roxas. I don't like-

But the moment I walk in the class and spot his messy hair, ripped jeans, and amazing eyes, my face heats up and my heart pounds so loud I can hear it.

Why do I feel this way? I just meet him like a week ago. We've only talked a few times and other than that first day it's been me asking him questions about what we were learning.

I've discovered that my hunch about Roxas when I first saw him couldn't have been more wrong.

'Cause the kid's a freaking genius. Why the hell he's not in more advanced classes, I have no clue. But not only does grasp whatever Mr. Sephiroth is trying to teach us, but he actually understands it so he can help me with my work.

As I sit down Roxas looks up and smiles. But that's all he does, before retuning to his book.

Feeling disappointed, I take out my sketchbook. Then, immediately feel stupid. What did I expect him to say?

I start a new page and let my mind wander, allowing my hand to just draw without over thinking anything.

Haven't seen Riku in forever. It's the longest time I've gone without talking to him since I met him.

Long hair is sketched on the page now. Along with an outline of a face.

Wish he wanted to talk to me. Can't we still be friends? Guess he doesn't want to be.

Perfect, soft lips now fill the space between the drawing's chin and nose.

I just want things to be different. Why couldn't they for once happen like they were supposed to?

My hand picks up a new pencil. Aqua eyes are now being added to the face on the paper.

Why couldn't this have worked out? I was so sure it would. So sure he was different.

The bell rings, making me jump.

My eyes focus on the drawing on the table before me.

Riku. I was drawing Riku.

Again.

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

"Who's that?" asks a voice from next to me.

Of course he had to see. I should really be more careful when drawing.

Looking at Roxas I see that he's staring at the drawing. But what surprises me is the look on his face.

It's almost disappointed. But, that can't be right. No, I must be mistaken.

He glances back at me, meeting my eyes.

"So, is he your boyfriend or something?"

Another twist in my heart.

I shake my head, but say nothing. The hurt must be apparent in my face, because Roxas' expression changes, making him look remorseful.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to pry," he says and turns away.

Great, now I feel guilty. I'm just about to tell him that I didn't minded, but Mr. Sephiroth clears his throat loudly.

Goodie. Time for torture.

"Today I'm going to pass back your test from last week. Some of you did good while others," he paused and I swore he glanced at me as he said the next part, "were unsatisfactory. You'll have the entire class to do test corrections. You must write them on a separate sheet of paper and show all work. If you have questions ask your lab partner. But I expect minimal talking."

He then started to pass out tests. A few kids let out small cheers, while others groaned.

I stared at the black table top, praying for a passing grade.

"Naminé."

I look up, my head feeling as if it were made out of lead. Mr. Sephiroth hands me my test. I smile weakly at him, a smile that goes unreturned. As he walks away I flip over the test.

A big fat F glares back at me.

"Fuck," I whisper. The moment I hear the word slip from my lips I clasp my hand to my mouth.

I never swear. It's just in bad taste. But, occasionally when I feel like I've hit rock bottom, I use some not so very nice colorful words.

I hear a chuckle and turn.

"Don't worry. I think I was the only one that heard that," Roxas says, a huge grin plastered on his face. His blue eyes are gleaming. Apparently I'm amusing.

"Sorry. Just slipped. I didn't mean to-"

"Hell. Shit. Bitch. Damn. Fuck. Don't worry I've heard worse. And trust me, I'm no saint. It's just surprising someone like you said one," he replies, laughter in his voice.

"Someone like me?" I ask.

"Yeah, all sweet and innocent," he answers, smiling at me, letting me know he thinks they're good qualities.

"Um, thanks."

"Naminé, a little less talking. A little more trying not to fail," Mr. Sephiroth reprimands from his desk.

Heads turn towards me. My cheeks are burning so hot, I'm shocked they didn't catch fire.

"What a dick," Roxas growls, under his breath so I could only hear him.

I shrug and stare at my test. The first page is covered in red pen. I stare at it longer, wishing the answers would show themselves. But, no such luck.

Peeking at Roxas, I see that he's reading. He wasn't here when we took the Test of Doom, so instead of spending the next hour and a half in agony, he gets to do something he enjoys.

I reread the first question. And then I reread it again. And again.

Nothing sticks. I might as well be reading Japanese.

Should I ask Roxas for help? Or wait for him to offer?

I chose the latter and move on to the next question. After five minutes of not having a clue as to what I'm doing, I comprehend that he's not going to offer his assistance.

"Um, Roxas," I stammer as I lightly tap his arm.

He looks away from his book. "Yeah?"

"Can you help me with this?"

Roxas looks at his book and then at me, a torn expression on his face. "Sure," he says finally. "Can I finish this chapter first?"

I nod and turn away.

Not sure how I'm feeling about this. Annoyed that he'd rather read than talk to me? Insulted? Not really. Just disappointed. 'Cause if there was any small chance that Roxas liked me (though I'm not saying I like him) he'd be more than excited to help me.

Right? When someone has a crush on you aren't they supposed to want to talk to you?

But, of course just 'cause someone talks to you and always sits next to you when he eats lunch with you doesn't mean he likes you.

Ugh, thinking about Riku again. Need to stop.

"Okay, done," Roxas states as he closes his book. "What do you need help on?"

"Um, the whole thing?"

"Okay. Guess we should start at the beginning then," he replies, grinning.

For the next hour, he explained the items on the test that I had completely bombed. A few things he had to show my several times before I understood what he was saying. But, he was always very patient. More so than the teacher ever was.

"Okay, times up. Please turn in your test corrections. They must be turned in today, or else no credit," the teacher instructed.

I looked down at my test corrections, proud of myself for what I had accomplished.

"Thank you so much," I gushed. "I actually understand this somewhat now!"

"Yeah, no prob," he replies, sounding distracted.

"Hey, Roxas?" I look over and see that his head in now in his novel.

Does he ever stop reading?

"Yeah?" he asks, not looking up.

"If you're really smart, then why don't you take the advanced class?" I respond back, timidly.

That gets him to look up. He gazes at me, his beautiful sapphire eyes locked onto mine, pensive expression on his face.

"Because I honestly don't see the point," he answers after a few more seconds of silence.

"The point?" I repeat, puzzled.

"Yeah. Advance classes learn pretty much the same useless information. The only difference is that they also have to do more useless work," he replies.

"So, you're lazy?" Oh, that sounded really rude.

He smiles. "No, it's more than that. I'm just apathetic. I don't see the purpose of working your ass off and then still getting a B 'cause you don't reach the teacher's standards. It also bothers me that no longer being smart is good enough. Parents and teachers all expect us to be the best. If we earn B's than why isn't it an A? If we earn an A, why isn't it higher? And if that A is lowered, everyone freaks out."

He paused to take a deep breath.

Thank goodness. For a moment there I thought he was gonna turn blue from lack of oxygen.

He then started talking again, apparently not being finished with his explanation.

"School is just a competition. Everyone is smart, so in order to get that A we have to do meaningless shit, just to prove that we are better than everyone else. And then after high school we're all expected to go to the top of the line colleges. And then after _that_ we have to work at jobs we hate, just so we can earn more money than our neighbors. I guess I'm just sick of it. Learning all this crap that I don't care about. If it were up to me I'd spend the whole day learning about history and religions. 'Cause those are the only subjects I really give a damn about."

Wow, that was quite a monologue he had going. Most words I've heard him speak in one conversation.

"You like history the best? Not English?"

"Ah, the assumption that because I love to read, I also enjoy memorizing grammar rules and writing essays. No. I actually hate English," he replies.

"That's surprising. How come?"

"Again, English is subjective. It's living up to the teacher's expectations. If a teacher doesn't agree with my thesis, then they'll tell me I have to rewrite it. You can never write what you want to if you want to get a good grade. English class is just a lot of bull shitting. I also really hate being force to read something dull and then having to annotate it," he states.

Man, once you get this kid going, he never stops.

"Sorry," he apologizes, looking sheepish. "Didn't mean to overload you. These thoughts just build up in my head, but I have no one to rant to. You happened to be the unfortunate one who asked my opinion. I guess I kinda went overboard. I'm gonna read now," he trails off.

I can't help but crack a smile. It was cute how he got all embarrassed. His cheeks all flushed looking.

"Naminé are you going to turn in your work, or are you going to stare at Roxas all day?" asks Mr. Sephiroth, coming up to our table.

The whole class turns to look at me, for the second time that day. Some snicker, others make kissy faces at me. I peek at Roxas, whose face is buried so much into his book; I'm surprised he can read it.

"Here it is," I reply, handing him the paper.

He glances at it before walking back to his desk.

A few kids still smirk at me, but thankfully the bell rings seconds later.

I grab my stuff and head toward the door. Someone calls out my name and I turn around.

"Talk to you later, Naminé," Roxas says slinging on his one-strap backpack.

I wave at him and exited the classroom, before the people behind me push me through the doorway.

As I walk to my locker I can't help but to let a huge grin spread across my face. Was it just my imagination, or did Roxas also seem embarrassed by the teacher's remark? I couldn't read his facial expression, but why else would he have hidden his face with his book?

Could he like me? That'd be really nice. But, after the whole Riku fiasco, how can I be sure now? He really screwed up everything I thought about the behavior of boys.

Speak of the devil.

The smile drops from my face when I see someone with long, silvery hair leaning against my locker.

"Hi, Naminé," Riku greets as I walk up to him. He throws his arms around me and squeezes.

"Hi," I respond, returning the hug, though not as enthusiastically as him. My good mood evaporated the moment I saw him.

Why does he make it so hard to get over him?

Wish he'd stop hugging me. To me, it means something more. The first time he hugged me, I couldn't believe it. It had taken an hour for my heartbeat to return to normal. But, I soon found out the hug meant very little to him. Just an exchange between friends. Nothing more.

My throat clenches up, as I think back to that memory of that hug. I had been so excited, so sure he liked me back.

"Naminé?"

His voice brings me back to the present. I start to open my locker.

"How have you been?" he asks.

"Good," I lie. He doesn't need to know that I still fall asleep crying over him.

"Any plans for the upcoming weekend?"

"Chilling with Axel," I reply as I bend down to pick up my textbook. "You?" I ask merely to be polite.

"Hanging out with Kairi," he says fast, almost as if he's unsure whether or not he really wants me to know.

The words linger in the air.

He's hanging out with Kairi.

Hanging out with his girlfriend.

'Cause I know they're dating now. I've seen them together in the halls. Yet, it still stings more to hear him confirm it.

I smile at him, not wanting him to know how those words made me feel. Like someone is sitting on my chest, making it impossible for me to breath.

"Have fun," I tell him, a little too chipper.

"You too." He reaches out and hugs me again. Pulling away he adds, "I'll call you later, okay?"

I nod, knowing full well he won't.

"Bye."

I walk away from him. No tears fall from my eyes.

But I know they will tonight.

xXx

"_I can live without you, but without you I'll be miserable at best."_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Personally, this chapter bothers me. I must have used the word but like forty times.

So what did you think? Did you like it? Hate it? Review and tell me you honest opinion!

Also how would you feel if I wrote some chapter in Roxas' POV? Would you guys be interested in that?

Thanks for reading!


	3. Through The Glass

Chapter 3! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys are awesome!

Enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_I'm looking at you through the glass. Don't know how much time has passed. Oh God it feels like forever. But no one ever tells you that forever feels like home, sitting alone…" –Stone Sour_

xXx

Always invisible.

Watching everyone around you having fun.

But no one gives you a second glance. Sometimes not even a first look.

Their eyes glaze over you. You're unimportant.

Forgettable.

That word that sums you up screams inside your head. It eats away at you, till you feel like nothing.

'Cause to everyone you are.

Nothing.

Forgettable.

Not worth someone's thoughts. Not memorable enough to stay inside someone's mind.

You always remember everyone. But no one remembers you.

And even after all these years it hurts, knowing no one sees you.

You might as well be part of the scenery. In the background.

Forgettable.

You're on the outside, looking in. Hoping with all your might that someone will look your way and see you.

But they never do.

Invisible.

Unimportant.

Forgettable.

Words that define you.

Words that rip through you.

And despite all your denial, all your reassurance to yourself, those words do burn.

You wish things would change. That'd you'd become noticeable, important, and memorable.

But that's just a fairytale.

xXx

The blaring music is giving me a headache. It's so loud I can feel it vibrating throughout my body.

I have no clue why I'm here. This was a mistake.

"I'm gonna get a beer. Do you want a soda?" Axel screams over the music.

I shake my head. Even if I shouted he probably still wouldn't be able to hear me.

"Okay. Be back soon!"

I watch as he disappears into the blob of people. Well, most of him. He's so tall that his flaming red hair is still just visible. Almost like fire sweeping through the crowd.

My head is pounding. Oh why did I come?!

'Cause that moron Axel dragged me here. Said it would be good for me to go to someone's party instead of moping around the house on a Saturday night.

Yeah, 'cause listening to ear numbing music, inhaling cigarette fumes, and watching people around me slobber over one another is healthy.

Axel told me that meeting new people would make me feel better. As if. He should know by now that it only makes me feel awkward and stupid.

Still he tries. The guy has good intentions. But I'm gonna have to kill him.

I watch people dance. Most are just bobbing to the beat. Some are grinding up against one another.

This is not my idea of a good time.

Especially since I know that Riku's here. With Kairi. His girlfriend.

He hasn't seen me though.

It's almost as if I have Riku Radar. It's the weirdest thing. I don't even try. But I'll be zoning out, thinking about him. And for some reason I'll feel compelled to look up only to see that he'll be standing there.

This time I only glimpsed a flash of silver, long hair weaving through the crowd. I know it was him.

I lean back on the couch I'm sitting on. Off to the side lines. Out of the action.

Watching those around me. Feeling left out. The outside looking in.

I don't understand why Axel and I couldn't just hang out at my house like we had originally planned. We'd be doing the same exact thing. Sitting on the couch; just the two of us. Minus the stench of beer and overwhelming music that disables us from actually hearing one another.

How did he even get invited to this thing? Sure, Axel has more friends than I do. But, he's no Mr. Uber Popularity.

I'm not even sure whose house this is. Maybe one of the Drama Kids'. That would explain how Axel heard about it. He mostly hangs out with the other Techies, but because he works on the Drama Club's productions, he's friends with a few of them.

Axel has tries to convince me to come along when he hangs out with them. And I have a couple of times. But they all have their own inside jokes and everything, so I'm usually left out.

An outsider to everything.

"Naminé?" I hear someone yell.

I look to my left. My stomach flips, queasily.

Riku sits down next to me and puts his arm around my shoulder. He gives me a squeeze before removing it a couple seconds later.

It's a good thing Kairi isn't here to have seen that. She would eat me alive. I wonder where she is.

"What are you doing here?" he shouts.

"Axel brought me. He's getting a beer." I respond as loud as my voice possible can.

"Are you guys dating? 'Cause I always thought you'd two be perfect for one another."

I shake my head. "Just friends."

"What?"

"We're just friends!" I yell.

"Oh, okay," he replies sounding distracted. I notice that his eyes aren't focused on me, but rather over my shoulder.

I watch as a goofy grin spreads across his face. His eyes are all lit up.

"I'll talk to you later Naminé. Bye."

Before I can even say "bye" back, he's already stood up and walked away. I turn around and then immediately regret it.

The reason for his sudden departure: Kairi. And he's currently now attached to her lips.

The sight of them glued together makes me sick.

Turning away, I try to spot the familiar red hair above the crowd. But it's not there. Where is Axel?

The music has now transitioned into soft, slow song. Thank goodness. My head can have a moment of peace.

Some guy plops down into the seat next to me. I wrinkle my nose, turning away from him. He reeks of beer.

"Hey, I've never seen you before. What's your name?" he slurs.

"Naminé," I answer, going to stand up. When this guy pukes I so do not want to be the one sitting next to him.

The guy reaches out and grabs my arm. I look back at him, really seeing him for the first time.

His brown hair is sticking up in all sorts of places, looking terribly familiar. But, what I really notice is his eyes. They're a deep sapphire blue.

In fact if he didn't look a few years older and didn't have brown hair, I would have mistaken him for Roxas.

"Let go," I snap at him.

He does, staring up at my face. Those blue eyes of his are glazed over, almost as if he isn't actually seeing me, but something else instead. He's most likely off in Happy Drunk La-La Land.

"Aren't you enjoying my party?" he asks, smiling stupidly.

"No," I reply. I don't care if I sound rude. Besides whoever this guy is, he's not going to remember me come morning.

"Why not?" he whines in a childish voice.

He then reaches out again and wraps his fingers around my wrist. Before I can even yell at him, he pulls me back down to the couch. Actually it's more down into his lap.

I almost fall off and onto the floor, but the guy wraps his arms around me.

"Let go!" I shriek, looking around desperately. Come on, someone has to notice this! Where's Axel?

Using all my strength I try to push away, but he only holds me tighter.

"You're pretty, Naminé," he says, all giggly.

Great. I've always wanted a guy other than Axel to say that. But when I pictured it in my mind, he wasn't slobbering drunk.

The next thing I know, is that the guys leaning his head down towards me. I try to push him away, but he's so strong. His lips meet mine, before I can ever scream "stop!"

Eew. The taste of beer mixed together with salt and vinegar chips. So revolting.

This guy doesn't even get that I'm struggling under him. He just keeps kissing me harder. His tongue slips into me mouth, intensifying the appalling taste.

I can't believe that this is the first time I've ever made out with a guy, and it's with some drunken jerk. Thank goodness, this isn't my first kiss. I think I would cry.

Oh, why hasn't anyone noticed the girl being mauled by this idiot?

'Cause everyone is probably drunk too. Or else no one cares about the girl whose name they don't even remember.

Panic starts to arise in my mind. What if he tries someone thing more than just stick his tongue down my throat?

I push as hard as I possibly can. Still no use. He doesn't even pause with the slobbering.

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

Someone rips the guy off of me.

"Naminé, are you okay?" Axel asks, picking me up off the guy's lap and placing me on the floor.

I nod, feeling tears sliding down my cheeks. Ugh, I didn't even know that I was crying.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Axel bellows at the guy.

He just giggles.

Axel reels his arm back, but I grab it before he can land the punch.

"Naminé-"

"Don't. It's okay. I'm okay."

I let go of his hand and he lowers it.

"Come on; let's find someplace else to chill."

Axel puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me through the mass of people. His grip tightens as we get pushed aside by everyone dancing wildly. They're all too drunk to realize the song is a slow one.

After a few moments of being extremely claustrophobic, we're out of the crowd. Axel leads me to a door. We go outside a large balcony. There's still quite a few people out there, but we manage to find an empty swinging chair and sit down.

"I'm sorry, Naminé. I should have never forced you to come here," Axel tells me.

"It's not your fault."

"You sure you're okay?" he repeats.

I smile at him. "Thanks for saving me."

Axel hugs me. "Of course."

"Who was that guy?"

"Sora. This is his house," he answers.

"I've never seen him before. Does he go to our school?" I ask.

"He used to. He graduated a few years ago. I guess he's on break from college." Axel takes a sip from his beer, which I just noticed is in his other hand.

"Axel, how did you hear about this party?"

"One of the Techies." Another sip from the bottle.

I scoot away from him, his breath starting to smell like beer.

"Sorry," he apologizes, understanding. He places the beer on the floor.

"That's okay. You don't have to stop. I just can't stand the smell."

Axel doesn't say anything. So I stare up at the sky, surprised that some stars are visible. From the corner of my eye I see Axel picking the bottle back up. He takes a long chug and puts it down. It bothers me that he still drinks. After all that happened last year, you would think he'd learn. But still he continues his habits. The only negative thing about him.

The smell of beer reminds me of the scene in the living room. My head starts to spin. Need to get away from the smell. If even for just a few minutes.

"I have to use the restroom. I'll be right back," I say.

"Some kid threw up all over the floor, so you're going to have to use the one upstairs. Do you want me to help you find it?" he asks.

"I'll be okay." I stand up and head back inside.

The music has stopped playing. That's odd. Also the living room is almost vacant. There's still a few people drinking and chatting, but other than that, everyone's gone.

I spot someone I sort of know from school. She's sitting on the couch between two guys. One is slightly chubby, but it suits him. He has a cheery face with dark brown eyes. The other guy is better looking, with his blondish brown hair, and chocolate eyes. His arm is slung causally over the girl I recognize from my history class, Olette. We've spoken a few times, so I know she's friendly.

She sees me coming over and waves.

"Hi, Naminé."

"Hi. Um, where did everyone go?" I ask.

"They're all in the basement," answers the guy with his arm around Olette. "The local band that came to play finished setting up, so everyone's down there."

"We're going to go down in a little while. Want to join?" Olette asks, smiling.

"Thanks, but I'm here with Axel. But, maybe in a little while I come find you guys."

"Okie dokie," replies the chubby boy. "I'm Pence by the way. And that's Hayner."

"Hi." I smile, feeling my cheeks warm up. Meeting new people always makes me nervous. "Anyways, I came up to find the restroom. See you guys later."

"Bye," the say in unison.

I turn away and go toward the stairs. Some couples are sitting on them, making out. I don't spot Riku and Kairi amongst them. So I'm thankful for that. It takes a little while to climb the stairs. I had to jump over a few couples who refused to move. It surprises me that none have passed out from lack of oxygen. They all seemed permanently attached by the lips.

Finally, I reached the top. What should have taken mere seconds, took about five minutes. The hallway splits into two at the top. I choose to go right, cause's there's only one door to the left. It's most likely the parent's bedroom.

As I travel down the hallway, I can't help but notice the pictures on the walls. Sora beams at me from almost every frame.

He must have been a big shot while he was attending our high school. I was a freshman when he was a senior, which would explain why I never had seen him before. However, by the look of his sports pictures he appears to have been captain, as well as Prom King, and President of student government. Which sadly means that I must live under a rock, because you would have thought that I would have at least heard about him.

A flash of blonde hair makes me stop dead. I stare at the picture in disbelief.

Deep blue eyes stare back at me. But they don't belong to Sora.

"Roxas?" I whisper out loud.

There's no mistaking it's him. Sure, he might have been about eight when this picture was taken, but he still looks the same. Same messy hair and even the same smile.

Glancing at the other pictures lining the halls, it doesn't take a genius to guess who the favorite child is. For every four pictures of Sora, there's only one of Roxas. He's also outnumbered by pictures of what I'm assuming is the youngest kid. Except it's a girl.

If she didn't have the same eyes as her brothers I never would have know she was related to them. While Roxas and Sora were more on the tan side, she was fair skinned. It contrasted her jet black, pixie cut hair. She looked to be around the age of eight or nine.

"She's my half-sister."

I jumped and turn around. Roxas is leaning up against the other wall. He smirks, his eyebrows raised. My cheeks turn red as I take in that he's wearing his pajamas. He's not shirtless, but the wife beater he's wearing does give me a glimpse of his kind of on the skinny side torso. Skinny, but nice.

"Sora is my full brother. But, Xion is my father and his wife's daughter," he explains. "My parents got divorced when I was seven. I decided to live with my mom, while Sora lived with my dad and his new fiancé."

By Roxas' bitter tone, I understand the reason for the divorce.

"I'm sorry."

He shrugs nonchalantly. "I'm used to it. However," he pauses his voice turning acidic, "I had to move change living arrangements when my mom got promoted, sending her to a different country.

I don't understand why he's telling me all of this. It's not like we're that good of friends. But I feel touched that he thinks we are enough for him to confide in me like this.

My eyes are transfixed on his unusually cold, blue ones.

"I'm sorry," I repeat, not knowing what else to say.

Again, he shrugs. Then returning to his normal manner, he smiles. It doesn't quite reach those haunting hard eyes though.

"What are you doing up here anyway? Shouldn't you be enjoying my brother's party?"

"I came upstairs to use the bathroom," I answer.

"Right this way then." He gestures down the hall. "Keep going straight. It's that door at the very end."

"Thanks."

I begin to walk. He follows, walking beside me.

"My room is the one adjacent," he explains.

We reach the end of the hall. I open the bathroom door and enter.

Immediately, I feel my cheeks heat up for what feels like the hundredth time that night. 'Cause I just realized I'd be using Roxas' bathroom.

Surprisingly it's very clean. The towels are all hung up nicely and the shampoo bottles are lined up according to size on the edge of the bathtub/shower. There's not even toothpaste left in the sink.

I quickly do my business and wash my hands. When I open the door, I jump slightly. Roxas is leaning against his bedroom door.

Wow. I didn't think he'd wait for me. I'm kind of shocked.

"Want to hang in my room for a bit?" he asks.

I feel my mouth drop open. Closing it, I continue to gawk at him.

"You don't have to. I'd just rather not go downstairs," he says.

Thinking back to Sora I decide going back downstairs would not be smart.

Wait…Sora? Roxas' brother. The guy I was just making out with.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I must have a horrified expression on my face; 'cause the next thing I know is that Roxas opens the door to his rooms and backs away from me.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to offend you," he tells me.

"No!"

He jumps at the volume of my voice.

"Sorry, didn't mean to shout," I say, talking much softer, "You didn't offend me. I'd really like to hang out with you, but Axel is waiting downstairs."

"Oh," he responds, sticking one of his hands in his pocket. With the other hand he runs it through his hair, only making it stick up more.

"Yeah, but you're welcome to hang out with us."

"Thanks, but I'd rather not. See you later."

"Okay, bye."

I turn away, feeling disappointed. The door closes behind me.

Not sure what to make of this. Does Roxas hate his brother that much or does he just not like being around too many people? I can't see him loathing someone so much, but when he talks about his brother and dad he's almost a different person. I guess I don't really know him very well.

I'm glad to see that the stairs have cleared up. Same with the living room. Everyone must be in the basement.

Sure enough, I can hear loud rock music coming from the downstairs. Whoever the local band is, they're pretty good.

Before going down I check the balcony. A few people are out on it, enjoying the warm night. But I don't see Axel. He's kind of hard to miss, so I assume he went to the basement.

But when I go down to check, I don't see him. He's abnormally tall, or at least to me he is. Still I should be able to spot him, so it's weird that I don't.

Maybe I did miss him on the balcony?

Checking again, I still can't find him. I travel farther down the balcony, thinking maybe's he moved. No luck.

Where is he?

And that's when I smell it. That so sweet, it makes you sick scent. My stomach clenches, threatening to empty what little I've eaten tonight.

Fighting the urge to throw up, I move closer to the smell. It leads me down the stairs and onto the yard. But I still don't see anyone. I have to be nearer; the smell is stronger than ever.

Ugh, it's worse than beer.

I turn so I'm now at the side of the house. That's when I finally see them. About five guys, leaning against the side of the house, passing something small around. It gets to the guy on the end. The one with flaming red hair.

"Axel?"

He looks around at the sound of his name. There's a stupid lopsided grin on his face.

The smile falls the moment he sees me.

The other four guys have now turned to see the interloper. Their grins are identical to the one Axel was just wearing.

I turn away and begin walking.

"Naminé, wait!" I hear him call from behind me.

Ignoring him, I break into a run. Angry tears are now pouring from my eyes.

He was supposed to stop. He promised me he had quit. He swore that he was done smoking pot.

I take the stairs two at a time.

Another broken promise. I never would have thought it would have come from Axel.

When I reach the balcony, I keep running. He's still behind me, but I don't care.

I run into the house, all the way up the stairs, and down to the end of the right hallway.

Giving my lungs much needed air, I stand outside Roxas' room. It takes me a few seconds to even realize where I am. Why did I go here of all places?

The door opens a crack as I'm staring at it.

"Naminé?"

It opens wider as he takes in my bright red face, dripping with tears.

"What happened?" he asks worried.

"I hate parties," I gasp.

Roxas puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me inside of his room, closing the door behind us. He steers me towards his unmade bed.

I sit, taking in Roxas' bedroom. It contains two completely full book cases, a dresser, a flat screen television, and a desk with a laptop on it.

Other than that it's completely empty. Well, other than the numerous boxes scattered all over the floor and the clothes strewn about everywhere. Almost as if his closet exploded. But other than that, it appears to be that Roxas hasn't unpacked anything else.

"You okay?" he asks. "What happened?"

I notice he's no longer in sweats and the wife beater, but instead ripped jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt.

He's watching me expectantly, looking worried. And I don't understand why, but all I want to do is tell confide in him with my messed up life.

"Well, first I saw Riku, the guy of my dreams kissing his girlfriend," I spurt out, sounding hysterical. Tears are steaming down my face now. "And then your brother assaults me-"

"He what?!" Roxas yells.

"Then," I continue on, unable to stop, "I find Axel smoking pot, which after what happened last year, he promised me he'd never do it again."

I sputter on the last words before just breaking down into sobs.

Roxas sits down and wraps his arms around me.

It takes a few seconds, but the feeling of his embrace sobers me up. I choke back my tears.

My cheeks are on fire now. I can't believe I'm crying in front of someone I don't even know. No one, except for Axel sees me cry. Not even Riku. I didn't give him the satisfaction to see me cry when he hurt me for that first time

Roxas lets go, hearing the absence of my sobs.

"You okay?"

I nod, sniffling.

"Now, what did my idiot brother do?" he asks gently.

"Nothing. No big deal," I answer.

"Don't defend him. I'm gonna kill him anyways."

I laugh. "He just kissed me, but he was drunk," I add hastily seeing the shadow cross Roxas' face.

"Yeah, he does that a lot. Now, do want to talk about the last part?

"I caught Axel smoking pot. And he got into some serious trouble cause of it last year. He made a promise to me that he'd stop."

"I'm sorry," he replies. "I don't know what else to say."

"Well, your company makes me feel better. Thanks." Wait, did I just say that? Great, he's gonna think I like him or something. Which I don't.

In the back of my mind I'm aware that Roxas completely skimmed over the thing about Riku. He didn't even acknowledge that I had said it. Pushing the thought out of the way I focus on wiping my (now probably blotchy) face, dry of my tears.

"Sure. I'm kind of bored myself. I've been unpacking, but I'm getting sick of it," he says, getting up from the bed.

I look around the barren room. It's sort of depressing. The only warmth in it is the books. But they make it look more like a library rather than a room. Other than the bed, there's nothing to suggest it is a room. No pictures, posters, or anything to show off personality. Just books and clothes. Things he needs on a daily basis.

I glance at the big flat screen television placed on the wall opposite of the foot of the bed. It doesn't fit what little I've gathered about Roxas. He just doesn't seem the type to care about the ridiculous sizes of electronics.

Roxas sees where I'm staring at.

"A 'Gift' from my dad," he says, pointing to the television. He laughs without humor. "It's funny how well he knows me. It's not like I hate TV, or anything."

"Oh," I reply. Then, trying to change the subject I ask, "Where's your skateboard?"

"My what?" He looks away from the TV and faces me.

"Skateboard?"

He furrows his eyebrow in confusion. "I don't own one. No clue how to skateboard."

"Oh, I just assumed, 'cause you, um, wear all those skateboard brand shirts," I stammer.

Honestly, I'm not obsessed with him. The only reason I remember what he wears is 'cause I thought it was interesting that his appearance contradict his personality. Seriously, not obsessed. I don't even like like the guy. Yup, that's right. Don't like him.

Comprehension dawns on his face. "Oh, those are all hand-me-downs from Sora. He's the one into sports."

I remain silent; not knowing what else there is to say. The silence stretches out, becoming more awkward by the second. I'm just about to ask him if he's finished the physics homework (lame, I know, but I have no clue what else to say) when he moves towards the door.

"I'm gonna get a beer. I'll be right back. Do want one?" he asks over his shoulder.

Um, he's leaving me here alone?! In his room?

"I'll come with you!" I squeal, springing up from the bed.

"Okay."

We exit the room and go downstairs. Again the living room is empty, but I can't hear music coming up from downstairs. Maybe they're taking a break.

Roxas leads me into the kitchen. He opens the fridge and pulls out two bottles of beer.

"No thanks. I don't drink," I tell him as goes to hand me one.

"Well, aren't you little Miss Sandra Dee?" He smirks at me.

"Um, what?"

"You know, from the movie Grease?" he asks.

When I remain puzzled, he starts to sing in a horribly mock girly voice.

"'I don't drink. Or swear. I don't rat my hair. I get ill from one cigarette.'"

"I think I've seen that. Aren't they making fun of her in that song?" I ask, almost positive he's insulting me.

"Yeah, but I'm not. I told you before that you're sweet and innocent. It's cute. You're just like the girl Sandy from the movie. You even have the blonde hair," he replies, now smiling warmly.

Wait did he just call me cute?

"Hey Sandy, do want anything to eat?" he asks, opening the fridge back up.

"Um, sure," I mumble.

It must have not been a big deal to him. He said it so causally. Like it was a fact rather than his opinion. Still, he said it.

"Naminé?"

I blink and focus on him. He's holding up a container of what looks like dip.

"Yum."

He smiles and starts rummaging though cabinets for chips.

"Hey, Roxas?"

"Hmm?"

"Isn't Grease kind of a chick flick?" I ask in a teasing manner.

He chuckles. "Yeah, but my sister is really big into musicals. Every time I came to visit she would make me watch a few. She's so happy I've moved in permanently 'cause she now thinks she can make me watch them all."

He grabs a bag, rips it open, and places it on the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Do want a soda?"

I shake my head and take a few chips.

"Where's your sister now?" I ask.

"She's over at a friend's house. I made sure she wouldn't be here when my dad and stepmom were out of town. I had a feeling Sora would be throwing a party," he answers, eating a few chips.

"Classy," I laugh.

He swallows and grins back at me.

"Do you want to go and listen to the band?"

"I thought you didn't want to be around the party," I reply.

"I think I'll survive for a few songs. Come on, Sandy, I've heard they don't suck."

He gently grabs my hand and leads me to the basement.

My heartbeat increases with his touch. It's not like he's holding hands with me. Our fingers aren't intertwined or anything. He's just sort of curled his fingers around my hand. But still, I feel heat in my cheeks.

On our way down the stairs, I gasp.

'Cause the basement is packed. There must be tons of people crammed down here.

When we reached the floor all I can see are people's backs. We can't even see the band.

Roxas taps some guy on the shoulder.

"Are they done playing?"

"No, just taking a break," he answers before turning back around.

Roxas, still holding my hand, then leads me back halfway back up the stairs. He lets go and sits on one of the steps.

I plop back down next to him.

"Didn't feel like standing," he explains.

I'm about to say something when the whole room erupts in cheers.

"Okay, everyone. We're back!" booms a voice.

More cheers.

"I love you, Demyx!" some girl shrieks.

"Love you too," Demyx replies. "We're Moldy Pepperoni and this is our brand new song!"

"Nice name," I say to Roxas.

He smiles back, but is unable to say anything, due to the band starting to play.

We listen for a few songs. They're actually a really good band. Demyx, the lead singer and guitar player, has a really alluring voice. The lyrics are almost poetic.

I let out a huge yawn. Checking my watch I see that it's eleven.

"Do you have to be home?" Roxas yells.

I shake my head. My curfew is pretty late. As long as I'm home before one, my parents don't care. Since I rarely hang out with someone other than Axel, they figure I'll never actually be out past curfew. I'm kind of suspicious that they just don't believe I'd even be out past eleven.

Another yawn escapes my mouth. I usually go to bed at eleven thirty. Lame, I know, but I enjoy getting enough sleep to not make me a zombie the next morning.

I lay my head on Roxas' shoulder and close my eyes.

The band is playing a slow song now. It's extremely pretty. I could almost fall asleep listening to it.

Roxas smells good. Like laundry detergent and shampoo. It's a nice, calming smell.

Wait a second.

It takes me a few moments of being in bliss to realize what I've just done. My eyes snap open and I sit up straight.

"It's okay," Roxas says softly in my ear. "I didn't mind."

I smile at him, but refrain from placing my head on his shoulder. Instead I wrap my arms around myself.

Looking out into the crowd, I see couples holding on one to another, listening to the soft, sweet song. Some are kissing, some just swaying together to the music.

They're all so lucky to have someone to hold on to. I want that.

Peeking at Roxas, I see that he's staring off into the space in front of us.

I know he thinks of me just as a friend. What happened a few moments ago, was just an exchange between friends. I've laid my head on Axel's shoulders hundreds of times.

It doesn't mean anything, I'm sure of it. We're just friends, nothing more. Like with Riku. He never thought I could be more to him. I guess that I'm always just going to be the friend. Nothing more.

And despite being in a room full of people, I've never felt so alone.

xXx

"_I'm looking at you through the glass… Oh God it feels like forever."_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

So what did you all think? Tell me!!

The name Moldy Pepperoni was created by one of my friends, so I give her full credit for what I think would be an awesome band name.

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it!


	4. It's Like Rain

Howdy!

Sorry, but I'm going to have a quick author's rant before chapter four. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I feel like saying it anyways. The last chapters and this one seem kind of uber depressing to me at some parts. This chapter deals with alcohol and drug abuse. I also implied a very sensitive subject at one point, thought I didn't go very much into it. If you think I'm doing overkill with the depressing material, please just bear with me. I started writing this fanfiction when I was really upset about something, so that went in to a lot of Namine's thoughts. I promise that this is a romance fan fic though, and it will become lighter and less depressing, as the story continues on. Right now though I feel like it's a little too soon for Namine however to be completley over with what happened with Riku (which I will go into later). I also wanted this chapter to focus on Axel and Namine's ups and downs as friends. Okay, rant over with. And thx to those who didn't skip the large amount of text that isn't part of the story :)

Thx to everyone who reviewed as well as the people who just read. Means a lot to me.

Enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_This is your one chance. Hell if you'll waste it. I can't let it happen. I love you too much."- Josephine Collective_

xXx

It's all piling up. Building and building. 'Till at last it reaches its breaking point.

Problem after problem. All major by themselves. Disastrous when combined.

Stress from school. Pressure from parents. Fights with friends.

Broken promises. Stepped on hearts.

All normal parts of life. But they sting all the same.

More than sting. They throb until you can't take it any longer.

But just when you think you're about to explode, the clouds clear a bit.

Or at least you believe they have. You reach out, trying to clasp the sunlight in your hands. And just when you think everything will be okay the clouds reform. The light gone.

As it slips through your fingers you cry out in pain.

'Cause more than anything you need that little shed of light in a world filled of darkness.

A world full of broken promises and stepped on hearts.

The world of reality.

'Cause anything else would just be a fairytale.

xXx

Alone. In a room bursting with people.

The band finishes playing the song that makes my heart constrict.

A song about the love for a girl. She's the most beautiful girl, inside and out. The only one for him.

It's a great song. Passionate lyrics and a soft, romantic melody.

Demyx's voice makes the song even better. You can hear his need for her. How much he loves her.

A song that makes anyone listening to it, happy. Happy for the boy and girl so perfect for one another.

Everyone except me, that is.

'Cause I know I'll never be like the girl in the song.

No one sees me like that. Probably because I'm not beautiful; inside or out.

I tug on the sleeves of my white sweatshirt so my hands are covered. Then I reached back and pull the hood over my head.

Not cold. I just want to block it out. The music. The couples. The boy sitting next to me.

Okay, not fair to Roxas. He's been nothing but nice to me nor has he given me false pretenses such as Riku did.

"You okay?"

I look over and nod. "Just sort of tired."

The same excuse I use when ever someone catches me looking upset. They always believe it too. Just once I sort of wish someone would see through the facade. That someone would understand and demand that I tell them the truth.

The corners of Roxas' mouth twitch down.

"Let's go back up to my room," he says, getting up. Reaching down he pulls me to my feet.

"Okay," I mumble. I'm grateful for leaving behind the couples and the music, but the thought of being alone with Roxas doesn't make this empty feeling inside of me go away.

"You sure you're okay?" he repeats as we climb the stairs to the top level.

"Yup."

Again he frowns, but doesn't say anything.

Roxas opens the door to his room halfway and lets out a loud swear word.

"What?" I ask, trying to see over his shoulder. Roxas pulls the door closer to him, further blocking my view.

"Get out," he says calmly.

A high-pitched giggle comes from inside the room.

"Find your own room, buddy," responds a noticeably drunk voice.

A voice that I recognize all too well.

"Get out," Roxas repeats, this time no longer calm. Furious sounding.

"Make us," laughs the perky female voice.

The one belonging to Kairi. Meaning that's Riku's in there with her.

Roxas sighs angrily and runs his fingers through his hair.

"Get out." This time he growls the words.

"What a party pooper." Another giggle.

Roxas opens the door completely and steps back.

Kairi steps out into the hall, her hair a mess. Her eyes grow wide as she spots me, standing behind Roxas.

Lips curling into a sneer, she says, "Wow, never would have expected to see you here. Isn't it past your bedtime?"

She giggles, almost as if she just says the wittiest thing ever. Being drunk does that to people.

"Come on, Riku," Kairi calls out.

"Hold on, I'm trying to find my shirt amongst all this shit," he yells back.

Roxas cringes, shooting a sympathetic look towards me. But I barely even notice.

'Cause it's obvious what they were doing. And despite not wanting to imagine it, my mind won't stop forming that mental picture.

His lips on hers as she runs her neatly pink polished fingers up his tan, strong back.

He strokes her hair, leaning down, till she's lying on the bed with him on top of her.

"Oh, hey, Naminé," says a drawling, drunken voice.

The images vanish. I focus on Riku as he walks out of Roxas' room.

"Hi," I reply weakly.

Riku wraps his arm around Kairi's waist. The two of them stagger down the hall, laughing loudly the entire way.

I watch until they disappear down the stairs and out of sight.

"Come on, Naminé," Roxas says gently.

He takes me hand and leads me back into his room. But instead of directing me to the bed, he pulls out the chair from his desk so it's now in the middle of the room and gestures for me to sit.

I do so. He then begins to strip the blankets and sheets off of his bed.

"Stupid, bastard," he mutters angrily as he balls up his comforter and throws it to the floor.

The picture of the two of them forms once again in my mind. I shake my head as if it would rid my mind of the scene of them together. It doesn't

"Were they…?" I trail off, not sure if I even want to know the answer.

"No," he answers. "They were only making out. But they probably would have if we hadn't interrupted. Sorry," he adds, seeing my face.

I nod, not really hearing him. This numb feeling is spreading through out my body. A defense mechanism. The same feeling I got when Riku told me "no" that one night where everything changed.

That feeling you get when you can't believe what just occurred. That it had been just a figment of your imagination, not reality. You know you've reached a turning point, and nothing will ever be the same again.

"You're positive you're okay?" he repeats.

"Sure, why wouldn't I be? It's no big deal. Just a shock, that's all."

A lie. But I must have said it convincingly because Roxas doesn't ask again.

It's almost humorous how good of an actress I am.

Roxas, Riku, my parents. They all believe me when I tell them I'm fine when I'm not.

Only Axel can tell when I'm lying.

Maybe that's because he's a good actor too. Better than me, even.

Good enough to make believe he had quit his vices.

"Man, I hate that guy." Roxas sits down on his bare bed.

That surprises me. "Why? You barely know him."

"He's one of my brother's buddies. I've met him while I was visiting before. He's just a dick. Even though he's our age he treated me like a little kid. Guess the fact that he was friends with my big shot brother made him think he was The Shit."

His face darkened for a second as he glanced down at the floor, but by the time he looked back at me it had returned to normal.

"At first when I saw you drawing his picture I didn't recognize him, but then I realized who he was and remembered that he was a huge asshole." He grinned sheepishly at me and ran his fingers through his hair once again. "To be honest I was really shocked that someone like you was friends with him. I was kinda disappointed actually."

Oh. So that's why he looked disappointed when he saw the drawing. He had asked if Riku was my boyfriend. I had taken his expression as him liking me and was sad I was already taken. But I guess that's not the case. He didn't like me or anything it's just that he hates Riku.

Not understanding why, but knowing the truth makes me sad. Is it 'cause I'm falling for Roxas?

No, that can't be it. It's because he told me Riku's a jerk and that contradicts with what I think of him. And I want to hold tight to my belief that Riku is a really great guy. I don't want to loose that thought 'cause that would mean…

"You kind of lost points for being friends with him. But I realized that I was being stupid, 'cause you're nothing like him," Roxas says, interrupting my thoughts.

"How so?"

Roxas got up from the bed and quickly walked over to his overflowing bookshelf. But before he turned his back on me I fleetingly saw the flush that had crept up onto his cheeks.

"You're really nice," he says, taking a book out. "Hey, have you ever read this?"

He faces me again and holds up the book.

Shaking me head I told him, "I don't read much."

"Oh, yeah."

"Yup," I reply, looking down at the floor.

An awkward silence follows Roxas's attempt at starting a different conversation.

More than anything I want to be curled up in my warm bed, listening to music as I fall asleep. But even if I could leave the party I know I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly. 'Cause the minute I get away from the eyes of Roxas, people at the party, and my parents, I know I'll start crying.

I just can't get over him. No matter how hard I try to forget him and move on. But my brain keeps replaying scenes from before that night. Scenes when we were friends and I loved being around him. Memories of the most random things he had said that made me laugh keep bouncing inside my head. I can hear his voice perfectly. Can remember exactly what I was doing and exactly how I felt.

Happy. More than happy. Rapturous.

'Cause all my life I have wanted just for the right person to notice me. He had been so perfect. I was so positive it was going to finally happen. Finally someone would fall asleep thinking about me for a change. Someone wanted to be with _me_.

I thought I would have someone to hold hands with and watch movies cuddled up on the couch together. Someone to eat ice cream with while sitting outside during warm summer nights. Someone to give me their jacket to wear when I got cold.

Someone that I made as happy as they made me.

"You really like him, don't you?"

I almost had forgotten that Roxas was there.

Looking away from the floor and to him, I see that he's watching me. His beautiful sapphire eyes meet mine and I nod.

"Is it that obvious?" I ask, looking down at my hands as I fiddle with the cuffs of my sweatshirt.

"Well, earlier you did say he was your dream guy," he replies.

Oh yeah. I'd forgotten about me breaking down in tears in front of him, letting my crush of Riku slip.

"Yeah, well when I pictured my dream guy he definitely wasn't having sex with Kairi," I reply bitterly.

"I would think not," Roxas says, causing me to look up at him and laugh. But there's no humor in it. It sounds hollow, or at least it does to me. Wonder if Roxas noticed it.

"It just took me by surprise, that's all. Seeing him with Kairi. I'm almost over him."

Roxas stares at me, probably trying to determine whether he believes me or not. If it's the latter it doesn't show on his face.

"Soooo," he says, a few moments later, obviously trying to once again change the subject, "What do you want to do? Or do you have to be home? I could give you a ride."

"Nah. Besides I'm gonna have to find Axel to drive him home. He's probably stoned out of his mind and I'll never forgive myself if I let him get behind the wheel," I reply.

"You mentioned he got into trouble last year. What happened?"

His question lingered in the air as I tried to find the right words to explain. My silence must have been misunderstood because Roxas's cheeks go pink, his expression abashed.

"Didn't mean to pry. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I'm just trying to figure out what to say," I assure him. "Axel's been smoking since like the age of fourteen. At first it was just cigarettes, but then sophomore year one of his buddies introduced him to weed." There's venom in my voice on the last words, but I carry on, refraining from expressing my opinion on Axel's moronic smoking friends.

"Axel's grades went to complete crap. He was broke and cranky all the time. Then he started drinking alcohol more often. It used to be only a beer when he was with friends, but after a while one beer turned into about four. He'd come over to my house pissed-drunk at like midnight, too afraid to go back to his house. And I stupidly covered for him. Oh god, I was so dumb." I sighed wearily.

"Naminé, it's okay. You cared about him. You didn't want him to get into trouble," Roxas tells me in a calming, sympathetic voice.

"No, that wasn't it. I just thought he'd get over it. Like one of those rebellious streaks teens go through to deal with stress. I thought he'd return to normal, cheery Axel. I never really understood how big the problem was. Just kept ignoring it. Kept helping him hide it from his parents. He'd call me all the time on school nights, stammering for him to pick him up from wherever the heck he was. Sometimes he'd be drunk, other times high, barely making sense."

"I'm sorry. That must have been hard for you," Roxas replies, clearly clueless on anything else to say.

"Yeah. Whenever it was just us hanging out on weekends he'd pretend those school nights never happened. When it was just us, it was like it always had been. He was actually pretty good at keeping the drugs and alcohol separate from us. I only had to deal with his other side when he called begging for help on those school nights. Then afterwards we'd just forget and return to normal. That's why I fooled myself in believing it wasn't so serious. If he could be Axel when it was the two of us so easily, then I figured he could quit whenever he wanted to."

"How long did this go on for?" Roxas asks, once I've fallen silent.

"A couple months, during the middle of sophomore year. But then everything started to snowball. We hung out less and less. He started hanging out with his other friends more and more, leaving me to eat lunch by myself. Less time hanging out with each other on weekends, more times picking him up drunk on school nights. One night was especially bad. I was so terrified when I picked him up." I shuddered, remembering that cold, night.

"Did he hurt you?" Roxas asks apprehensively.

"No. Axel's not an angry drunk. He gets really depressed. And that night he was rambling on and on about he's so sick of living the way he does. And how he wished things would end. Oh, god." I had to stop talking about it. I could feel the tears building up.

"Naminé," Roxas replies, gently. That's it. Just my name. But in that one word I knew what he meant.

"That was the final straw. I finally told his parents as well as mine. They were starting to get worried why I was always leaving late at night and why Axel was spending so much time sleeping in our guest room. At first he was mad at me. His parents grounded him and he wasn't allowed to hang out with his other friends any more. It wasn't until I told him how much the whole deal was tearing me up inside and how I had cried so many times, that he realized I had done the right thing. He knew all along what he was doing was destroying both him and our friendship, but he just couldn't find a way to stop. So he tried his hardest to stop."

"But, he didn't completely?"

"He stopped smoking cigarettes, and now only drinks beer occasionally and only one beer at a time. Got his grades up. Went back to hanging out with just me and his techie friends which he also had blown off during the fiasco. He went back to being happy, sarcastic Axel again. We don't ever talk about his downward spiral. He wasn't Axel then. We're back to where we were before sophomore year. He's my best friend." I paused, the scene from earlier replaying in my mind. "Well, at least I thought we were okay again."

"Naminé, he just made a really stupid mistake. People relapse. It's impossible for anyone to quit cold turkey. He's still your best friend, and I bet every book I own that he's beating himself up about it now, 'cause he knows he's hurt you," he responds.

"You're probably right. It's just that-."

"What?"

The tenderness in his voice made me forget what I was about to say. My eyes locked on to his beautiful ones, so full of compassion and empathy. In that instant I realized that even if I didn't like Roxas in the way I did with Riku, he was someone to rely on. Someone I knew would become one of my best friends. I can't believe I just meet this guy and I feel so strongly about him. But something in my gut assures me that we'll be spending a lot of time together in the future.

"Naminé?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Axel always tells me that those who make you cry don't matter, and those who matter won't make you cry. And because I always shoved the disastrous sophomore year to the back of my mind and pretended it never happened, I always thought that Axel mattered the most out of everyone cause' besides what happened, he's never hurt me any other time. But the truth is I _shouldn't_ forget what happened. Nor can I forget the tears I _did _shed over him during that time. He'll just keep breaking his promises. And I can't go through seeing my best friend slowly kill himself over again. It'll destroy me."

That sounds selfish, but it's the truth. I just can't see him like that again. I love him more than anything in the world. He's always been there for me, even when my own parents weren't. And...

"Naminé," Roxas says as he comes over to me and kneels on the ground. "No offense, but you're wrong."

"What?" I watch him as he nervously runs his fingers through his blonde hair.

"You're moving backwards instead of forwards. You want to pull away from him because you fear getting hurt. But he needs you. You still hurt from everything that's happened with Riku. It's impeding your judgment. 'Cause I know that you know that the right thing for you to do is to help Axel. Not keep your distance. Don't use his own words against him either. Yes, jerks like Riku aren't worth your tears. But I can tell by the way you talk about Axel and how much his mistakes hurt you, that you love him. Trust me, that guy matters to you. I know he does. You told me earlier that Axel wasn't acting like himself when he was high and drunk. So it wasn't Axel that made you cry. That's not who he is. You weren't being stupid when you helped him, but you are now. Don't give up on him. You'll regret it. Because you're a really great girl."

Wow. Oh god, Roxas is so right. Here I was going on about how I can't deal with Axel starting his old habits again, when I should be thinking of ways to help him. He needs me. Just like I've needed him over all these years.

As is sit here letting Roxas' words sink in, Roxas stares the floor. I watch him, wanting nothing more to hug him.

"Thank you," I say.

He looks up to meet my eyes. Relief is evident on his face.

"I'm sorry. I don't really talk a lot, but for some reason you really get me going. And it's like I can't stop," he replies.

"It's okay. Everything you told me was true. I needed to hear it. Or else I would have done something stupid."

He gives me a smile, before standing up. "You wouldn't have. I think what happened earlier with Riku was still upsetting you. You weren't thinking straight."

"Seriously, the thing with Riku was nothing. I'm not upset," I lie.

Roxas smiles again, except this time it doesn't reach his eyes. He sticks his hands in his pockets, and rocks back on his heels.

"Do you want to go listen to the band again? Or stay up here?"

I think back to those happy couples holding on to each other and mentally grimace. So do not want to be there.

"I actually think I should find Axel and drive us both home," I reply, after a minute.

"Okay. I'll help you find him."

I get up from the chair and head into the hallway, Roxas following after me. We gingerly travel down the now occupied stairs. Guess those couples must have gotten bored with the band.

"Would he be in the basement?" Roxas asks, nearly falling over his brother and some poor drunken girl. Sora's hand is dangerously getting closer to underneath her skirt. I notice that Roxas doesn't even acknowledge his brother's presence.

"Let's check the balcony first," I answer, jumping the last step and onto the floor.

We go out onto the balcony that stretches the entire length of the house.

"It's gonna take a while to find him," Roxas states.

Either the band started to suck, or people just got bored, because there are quite a lot of people out here.

As we continue on I spot Olette and Hayner all cuddled up on the swing-chair Axel and I had sat earlier. Wonder where Pence is.

But I find out in a few seconds when I see him talking to some girl, clearly looking nervous.

It isn't till we're at the halfway point when I spot a mass of the brightest, red hair I've ever seen.

"Found him," I say, pointing to where he's sitting.

"Good. This is where I leave you," Roxas tells me.

"Wait-what?"

"I think you need to talk to him without me standing there," he answers, sounding like it was way obvious. Which it was, but still.

"Yeah. Thanks so much for your help."

"No problem. See you Monday, Sandy."

For a second he looks as if he's gonna hug me, but all he does is give a little wave and then turn around. I watch him go, once again feeling disappointed that Roxas didn't do something I wanted him to.

Wait. Did I just say want? No, I meant… screw it. I'll obsess over this later. Need to talk to Axel.

As I get closer I see he's staring at the floor, bottle of beer in his clutch.

Looking up he sees me, and immediately jumps to his feet. "Naminé! Please, let me explain," he pleads.

"Okay," I reply calmly.

"It's not what you think. I wasn't going to smoke it," he tells me. His usually bright, laughter-filled eyes are melancholic. Desperate for me to believe him.

"I promised you that I was finished smoking weed. I didn't break that promise. I swear I was just chilling with those guys. They kept offering me the joint, but I kept refusing. I finally took it just to shut them up," he explains.

"Axel, you had to know they'd be smoking. Why did you go there in the first place?"

Axel looks down at the ground, ashamed.

"'Cause I wanted to be around it. Unlike you, I enjoy the scent. More than just enjoy. It's intoxicating. I'm sorry Naminé, you had been gone for a while and I had smelt it, so I decided to follow it."

When I don't say anything, he looks up. "I'm sorry," he repeats.

I sigh, knowing he truly means it.

"You do know you can get high, just by the fumes, right?" I say lightly, letting him know I'm not angry with him.

He nods, his normal grin spreading across his face.

"And since you've been drinking, that means I get to drive your truck."

"Fine."

"And, Axel-"

"Yeah."

"You need to promise me that you'll do your best not to go back to smoking. Cigarettes or pot. Just stay away from any of it. If you need any help at all, ask me. I'll do anything for you. I love you," I tell him.

Axel drops the beer bottle to the ground, where thankfully it doesn't smash. Then he encloses me in his arms, squeezing me so tightly I can barley breath. Which I guess is a good thing, 'cause he positively reeks.

"Love you too, Naminé."

He lets go and slings his arm around my shoulder. Together we stroll the balcony, back to the house.

"You know there is one thing you could do for me," Axel says, after a while.

"I'm not dressing up and going to the Rocky Horror Picture show with you again. One time was enough."

Axel chuckles and pulls me closer to him, kissing the top of my head. "Nah, though I will make you go on Halloween. After we've gone trick-or-treating of course."

I roll my eyes, not even bothering to begin my usual "we're too old for that" argument.

"Then what do you wish for me to do?"

"Monday, you're going to ask Roxas to sit with us at lunch," he says firmly, so I know there's no auguring with him on the subject.

But truth be told, I'm perfectly okay with asking Roxas to sit with us.

In fact, I'm looking forward to it very much.

xXx

"_Then you'll see. It's like rain on a beautiful day. All the clouds go away. And we're just singing and playing and alright. Then you'll know no matter where the wind blows us, we've always got each other."_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

So what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Tell me your thoughts. I promise critism with not upset me. It'll let me know what I can do to become a better writer.

This chapter took forever to write. Mostly because the original one extremely differed from this one around the middle of the chapter. I went back and changed it because I felt like the characters were out of character and it wasn't realistic at all.

Probably no one recognized the song or the band. Josephine Collective isn't very popular. I personally love them. Honestly, they are quite an emo band with some screaming. If that's your style of music, I recommend checking them out. They are awesome!

I also used a song from Mayday parade like a couple chapters back. They're a lot less emo and more popular. I love them. Their lyrics and singer's voices are incredible. So check them out!

I haven't heard a lot of Sugarcult, but the songs I do known are the type that you play over and over again, 'cause you love them so much. Pretty Girl was another big inspiration for this story.

Sorry, for the music info. I'm always looking for new bands to listen to and thought you guys might be as well.

Have a good rest of the summer! I don't want to go back to school! :(


	5. Rip Tide: Roxas

Egahds! I haven't updated in forever!! So sorry guys I've had most of this chapter written forever ago, but was stuck on what to do with Roxas. So here's my crapola chapter, it's sorta filler but I'm establishing him as more of a round character as well as giving him his own little plot lines. The song doens't really match the chapter, but I couldn't find anything else I prefered. So here you go. Hope you guys like it.

* * *

"_I won't justify the way I live my life. 'Cause I'm the one living it, feeling it, tasting it and you're just wasting your time."- Sick Puppies_

xXx

Pointless. Meaningless. Insignificant.

Ain't that redundant?

Well, so is everything else. School. Television. Sports.

All the same. Boring. Tedious.

Even things that are new and bright fade eventually. They become dull or broken.

Or redundant. The same thing over and over again. Everywhere it's the same old pattern.

Nothing changes. Everything you would expect happens, oh so predictably.

Except for that one small, rare exception. You least expect to find something so bright in such a dark place.

Like when you were a kid, receiving those old hand-me-down toys from your older sibling because your parents couldn't afford to buy you that shiny action figure that you really wanted because money was tight that month. So you search through the bin of desolate, rejected, broken toys. And when you think you're just about to give up and sulk, you find that one toy at the bottom of the bin that has yet to lose its luster.

It still has all of its limbs remaining, untouched by the selfish sibling who got everything they wanted while you got stuck with their cast offs. They probably never gave it a second glance. Amongst all the toys that made sound and lit up, the simple action figure was simply placed at the bottom of the barrel.

And once those other toys broke or simply became lame, that forgotten toy was buried underneath them.

But to you it was a treasure. Untouched, unplayed with. Practically brand new.

And most importantly it was all yours.

Sure, it might not be as showy as the others. Not as impressive looking at first glance. It's overlooked by all. But to you it's amazing. Beautiful.

And while all the other toys had quickly become redundant, this toy never fades. It's always special. Not just in appearance, but in value. It's way more amazing then all those other crappy toys combined. This one has substance.

It's different.

And as feminine as this sounds: it's a dream come true.

Because that beautiful exception is just like a fairytale.

xXx

Seriously, could he be any more of a douche? Leaving me to clean up all this party shit?

Of course the second the last person leaves (two in the morning) Sora crashes out on the couch.

His loud, rumbling snores is the only thing sound in the entire house as I move from room to room, picking up beer bottles and other various after-party crap. If I don't do it, then no one will. Dad with throw a fit and my step mom, Kendra, will tell him it's a normal teenage thing to throw parties while parents are away.

I shove an empty chip bag into a trash bag as I fume.

She only takes my side because she feels guilty. And she should feel ashamed. It's her fault my family was ripped apart. Does she honestly think trying to be my best bud is going to change that fact?

I furiously stuff the trash bag full with more junk. Stupid drunken morons.

Sora twitches on the couch. His mouth is wide open as drool slides down his chin.

Yeah, I can totally see why all the girls think he's a stud.

I glance at my watch, running my fingers through my hair with my other hand.

It's now five in the morning. This place needs to be at least presentable by the time Xion is dropped off.

Sora releases another bear like snore. I look over at his presence and fight the urge to pour the remaining beer in the bottle on the table over his stupid, damn face.

My fingers are itching towards the bottle when a loud, blaring rap song starts playing.

"Huh?!" Sora grumbles, jerking awake. He frantically looks around the room, before slipping his hand in his pocket and taking out his cell phone: the source of the music.

"Hey, dude," Sora says into the phone, standing up and heading toward the stairs.

I wait till he's out of sight before flipping him off. Stupid bastard.

Immediately, guilt washes over me. I put my finger down and stare at the half cleaned room.

Being in this house automatically turns me into a dick. Unlike Sora, though I'm completely aware of that fact, yet I can't stop myself. It's like a light switch goes off in my brain turning me from that decent guy to that complete asshole.

The only exception to that is my sister, Xion. That's a no-brainer why. It's impossible to be mean or sarcastic to her. Which still continues to amaze me. The only thing we really have in common is my damn dad. He's the reason for Sora's, Xion's, and my almost-creepy-they're-so-blue-eyes.

Which again, shocks me that we all three inherited those. After all my mom and stepmom both have dark, brown eyes, which is the dominate gene for eye color. So according to science we had a bigger chance of getting those, but no, instead we get these blue piercers.

And Sora and I received the messy hair from our mom. We look a lot alike. _Too _much alike for my own liking. If it wasn't for his brown hair and being a tad bit older, we could pass for twins.

I run my fingers through my hair again. It's something I do unconsciously, especially if I'm nervous or angry. Stupid habit, really.

My eyelids close for a second, before I snap them open. Gotta stay awake. Need to finish cleaning.

But my feet refuse to move. They've gotten accustomed to staying put and now the thought of moving again just makes them mad. And making them angry seems like a terrible bad idea. They could revolt.

Man, _am_ I tired. I'm starting to personify my damn feet.

Need sleep.

I glance toward the stairs which seem like a million miles away. However the only other option is the couch and that isn't too promising because it smells a bit funny and I could have sworn seeing a kid puke on one of the pillows earlier.

Thank god, my parents won't be home till Monday night. That will give me time to wash the pillows.

Ha! Pillow is a funny word.

Pillow. Pillow. Pillow.

The word begins to sound even funnier after thinking it a few more times.

Damn, I need sleep.

Forgoing the opportunity to sleep in some kid's vomit, I force my feet to the stairs and climb up them. I can hear Sora yakking away on his phone as I pass his room. The hallway seems to stretch out; my room looking farther away. Just when I'm about to fall over and sleep in the hall, I make it to the door and push it open.

Not even bothering to turn on the light I stumble towards the bed, bumping into boxes along the way and collapse on it. Then, still in my jeans, I close my eyes, drifting off into much desired sleep.

xXx

When I wake up the first thing I hear is someone thumping around outside in the hallway.

Great, Sora is already up. Maybe he'll actually help clean the house up before Xion gets back.

Yeah right.

I lift myself off of my bed and glance over at my alarm clock which reads ten AM. Great I have two hours to make this place presentable before Xion returns. The girl is a neat freak so the sight of the enormous mess downstairs will drive her crazy.

I sigh, grabbing a pair of jeans that are scattered amongst all the boxes on the floor. Then I open one of the drawers to my almost empty dresser and pull out yet another hand-me-down shirt from Sora. So far the only clothes I've managed to unpack of my own are jeans, underwear, and socks.

The day I moved in Sora had given me a "care package" of all his clothes he didn't want anymore, so I've been wearing those for the past couple of weeks, too lazy to get my own stuff out.

I head out into the hall and into the bathroom Xion and I share. You would think that because she's the only girl, not to mention my dad's and stepmom's "Little Angel", she would one of the bedrooms with its own bathroom. But no, Sora was here before she was, so of course even though he was the only kid living there at the point when my dad and stepmom first moved in, he took the room with the conjoined bathroom, too damn lazy to walk to the end of the hallway.

I shower quickly, knowing it will take more than an hour to clean the house. When I'm done washing my hair I put the shampoo bottle back in the exact same place it came from. Even though Xion uses her own shampoo, she still likes mine to be kept in order. All the bottles are lined up according to size, just the way she likes it.

Once I'm out and all dried off, I hang the towel back up, making sure it's straight and tidy. I slip on my boxers and jeans then put my shirt on. After brushing my teeth, I clean out all the toothpaste, knowing how much it disgusts Xion to see the sink full of my spit.

She's lucky that I'm the brother she shares a bathroom with, because I honestly don't think Sora would have been willing to do all this stuff for her.

Suddenly, a massive crash comes from downstairs, causing me to jump five feet. Sighing, I leave the bathroom and go downstairs.

"What broke?" I ask, entering the kitchen, though I already suspect the answer due to the strong scent of beer wafting up my nose.

I look at Sora and immediately have to hide back a laugh. His expression is a mixture of rage and grief.

"_Someone," _he replies, glaring at me, "left this six pack of beer on the edge of the counter. I didn't see it and knocked it over."

"Yeah, I can see that, by the broken glass and beer all over the floor. Good going, Genius. Now start cleaning it up. And don't bitch about it, cause you know perfectly well that we have an entire fridge dedicated to beer down in the basement."

Like I said, I turn from decent guy to dick in a mere matter of seconds.

Sora's face turns bright red with fury. I can tell he's pretty bad hung-over, because normally something like this he would just shrug off, not caring he had just wasted money.

"You clean it up. It's your fault for leaving it here and not putting it in the fridge in the first place. Besides I have to leave anyways, I was just grabbing something to eat," he tells me.

"What do you mean, 'leave'?" I growl.

"You know, as in to go? Get out? Go somewhere else?" Sora responds, sounding as if he's talking to someone in first grade.

"I know what leave means, you asshole. Why are you leaving? First of all you need to help me pick up the shit from _your_ party. And second of all, Dad asked you to take care of Xion until he and Kendra get back."

"Hey, you were at that party here too. And I'll be back in a few hours. Just going to hang out with some buds of mine," Sora says.

He turns around and exits the kitchen. Ten seconds later I hear the front door open and close, leaving me to not only clean the house, but now pick up broken glass.

"Jackass," I mutter darkly.

It takes me about ten minutes to make sure all the little shards of class are completely swept up. Another five to mop up the beer.

The next hour is then spent cleaning up trash. The thrown up on pillow is a lost cause so I pitch it too. They're so many damn decorative pillows in the living room so I know it won't be missed.

Finally just as the last beer bottle is cleaned up and I'm just about to sprawl out on the couch with my book, the doorbell rings. Not once, but five times.

Xion always rings the doorbell five times. For some weird reason she likes multiples of fives. So much so that she can't wait to be ten in two years. She's weird like that.

"Hey, Kido," I say, opening the front door.

"Howdy," Xion replies, a wide grin across her face.

I give a friendly wave to the mom of the Xion's friend, who dropped her off. She waves back and pulls out of the driveway.

"Ewww!" Xion wrinkles her nose as she walks past me and inside the house. "What's with all the air freshener?"

I shrug, closing the door. It was either the extreme smell of flowers or the stench of beer, but I don't explain this to her.

"Go unpack your stuff and then we can watch one of the musical you love so much," I tell her.

Her bright blue eyes light up and she runs up the stairs. I'm just about to go into the kitchen to make some popcorn when I hear her yell, "Roxas my door won't open."

Oops, had forgotten about that. Before Sora's party I had turned the lock of her bedroom door and then exited the room, closing the door behind me. I didn't want any of Sora's drunken friends to go into her room and make out or something much worse. The thought of explaining to Xion what a bra was after some girl left it in her room was not my idea of fun.

So I ran up the stairs and down the hall. Xion was staring at the doorknob with such a pouty frustrated look it was kinda funny.

"Must be locked," I mused for her benefit.

"Locked? But it locks from the inside! Who's in my room?!" Xion exclaimed.

I chuckled. "No one. It probably was an accident. Here, I can unlock it." I took out a paper clip from my pocket and put it in the lock. It took a minute of jiggling it around until I finally heard the lock click. "There you go."

She opened the door and peeked cautiously inside of it.

"There's no one in there," I laughed.

"Okay," she replies, still sounding unsure.

"Here, I'll prove it."

I enter her room and open her closet showing her it's empty of human life. Then I get down on my stomach and make a big show of checking under the bed, even though I know it'll be empty. But it's for her benefit so I still do it.

"See. No one." I turn around to face her. She's barely inside the room, watching me make sure it's okay.

Xion smiles. "Okie dokie. Thanks Roxas."

"No problem, Kiddo."

She walks over to the bed and places her bag on it, already starting to put everything away.

I chuckle to myself. She's probably the only kid who cleans up with out being told to do so.

"I'm gonna go make popcorn," I tell her before leaving the room.

I'm waiting in the kitchen for the microwave to go off when it happens; my cell vibrates.

I take it out of my back pocket and flip it open, not expecting the name that pops up on the text message.

"Aqua?" I say out loud, still not believing it. My fingers tremble as I open the message.

_Hey there, cutie. I've missed you, _it says.

I snap the phone shut and place it back in my pocket.

What the fuck, man? After all that's happened she's decided to contact me now, after all this time? It's been months since I last spoke to her.

The microwave beeps, making me jump. I open it and take the popcorn out, dumping it into a bowl, barely aware that I'm doing so.

Why would she want to talk to me now? Or at all for that matter? And does she honestly think that after what she did to me that I'm gonna text her back and it'll be like old times again? She's crazy if she thinks that.

That bitch. Just when I think I'm over it, she does something like this, bringing back all those memories. Man, I hate-

"Roxas?"

I turn around, noticing Xion standing in the doorway.

"Popcorn's done," I tell her with false cheer. "What movie we gonna watch?"

"You okay?" she asks, ignoring the question.

"Yeah." I smile wide at her. Grabbing the popcorn bowl off the counter I walk towards Xion and the two of us exit the kitchen. We both plop down on the sofa.

"What movie is it gonna be, Kiddo?" I ask again.

"Um," she pauses to think, "How bout Singing in the Rain?" she exclaims, excitedly.

"Sounds great."

Xion grins and goes to find the movie. Meanwhile I sit on the couch, feeling the presence of my phone in my pocket getting stronger.

I know I should refrain from responding and I don't want to talk to her, yet I can't help but remember all those times talking to her made me smile. All those times in the past when she made me happy. I want it to be how it used to be between us.

Before she cheated on me with my used to be best friend.

My hand moves towards the phone. I want a taste of the past. Want to talk to her. I've missed her too.

Missed the way we used to talk for hours. Missed her smile, her voice. Missed-

I stop suddenly, the open phone in my hand.

We can never go back to how it used to be between us. I know that's not possible. Things change.

And I realize I don't miss her. I miss the façade of her. The person she pretended to be.

But that image isn't real. It's just fantasy. A stupid fairytale.

I take one last look at her text message, before hitting Erase.

xXx

"_And you're just wasting your time trying to throw me a line, when you're the one drowning. I like where I'm at on my back, floating down in my own riptide. The water is fine."_

* * *

What you think? Be honest!!

Next chapter Namine!


End file.
